Gas turbine engines typically include a compressor section, a combustor section, a turbine section, and an exhaust section. A rotor shaft rotatably couples the compressor section and the turbine section. In this respect, the compressor section compresses air entering the gas turbine engine. This compressed air mixes with fuel in the combustor section to form an air and fuel mixture, which produces hot exhaust gases when ignited. These hot exhaust gases then flow through the turbine section, which extracts kinetic energy therefrom. This, in turn, rotates the rotor shaft, which provides the necessary mechanical energy to the compressor section to compress the incoming air. After flowing through the turbine section, the hot exhaust gases exit the gas turbine engine via the exhaust section.
In particular configurations, the exhaust section may include a center body that couples to a rear frame of the turbine section. The components defining the hot gas path, such as the center body, may be constructed of a ceramic matrix composite (“CMC”) material or another composite material capable of withstanding prolonged exposure to the hot combustion gases. The components positioned radially inward or radially outward from the hot gas path, such as the rear frame of the turbine section, typically experience lower temperatures than the components along the hot gas path. In this respect, these components may be constructed from suitable metallic materials.
Conventional attachment systems typically used in gas turbine engines to couple a composite component (e.g., the CMC center body) to another component (e.g., the metallic rear frame of the turbine section) require machining of the composite component. This is a time-consuming and expensive process that results in increased manufacturing time and cost when constructing the gas turbine. Accordingly, an attachment assembly for coupling a composite gas turbine engine component to another gas turbine component that eliminates the need for machining of the composite component would be welcomed technology.